Photo By: Cammi Unruh

On a hot September morning, while many JCCC students are still sleeping, Layla Barnes is already working on her basketball game. Twice a week, the JCCC women’s basketball sophomore wakes up early and heads to the Fieldhouse for extra work. For Barnes, the extra work is what it takes to keep improving.

“I come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 a.m., and I work out every morning,” Barnes said. “I’ll do my own personal stuff after classes, I will break in between, and before practice, I’ll go work out.”

She did not play basketball until her freshman year of high school. This put her at a slight disadvantage because she was less skilled than the other players she was competing against.

“I was on my freshman team. I was like, I’m just going to try out,” Barnes said. “Basketball had already been kind of a part of my life, but I’d never really worked on it.”

Dedication to Improvement

Since she got a late start in basketball, she had to work harder than everyone else. This was done with extreme dedication.

“She honestly is the hardest worker I know,” said Kinley Christopher, a freshman on the women’s team. “I haven’t really met anyone like that.”

She is always pushing her limits every day to be the best and to show results.

“She always goes top-notch at the gym,” Christopher said. “She is always trying to lift the highest weight, and she’s dedicated.”

The Consummate Teammate

Barnes is a sophomore returning from a team that went 35-1 and finished third nationally. She is going to be relied on to be a good teammate and to be vocal on the court.

“She is an elite on-court communicator and practices hard and with purpose every day,” said Ben Conrad, head women’s basketball coach. “So, they are seeing every day a model of how we want our players to approach practice.”

Barnes is dedicated to making her teammates better on and off the court. She wants to do the hard work on the floor below the basket to make sure she opens things up for her teammates. Pull down the rebound, hit a player with a precision pass, or start a fast break.

“She always puts in 100% effort,” Christopher said. “She’s always trying her best, and she likes pushing people to be their best.”

Leading by Example

Barnes leads by example daily. While she is vocal on the court, she feels the best way to lead is by example. Her goal is to do this on and off the court every day.

“You can lead by example. You can lead by being boisterous. I’ve always thought the best way is by example,” Barnes said.

Conrad agrees and thinks she is doing a nice job by leading by example every way possible, and she is setting a good example for the team.

“She’s showing us in practice, outside of practice, like she’s always talking to teammates,” Christopher said. “She is always having conversations with teammates in the locker room to make sure everyone is doing well.”

Heart of Service

She wants to major in engineering and hopes to continue playing at a four-year college. She also wants to participate in ROTC, with a long-term goal of serving in the Army.

Basketball has become more than a sport for her. It is the proving ground for the career she wants to pursue. It has given her an opportunity to develop the dedication and leadership skills she hopes to carry into her future.

“I want to go into the Army because I am a very structured person,” Barnes said. “I think I would thrive in that setting.”

Her coach was not surprised and agreed when she mentioned that to him one day.

“Discipline and commitment are things that matter to her,” Conrad said. “That would be a good fit.”